Starting Over
by BaltaineShadow
Summary: Harry Potter has had enough. No one ever believes him, his own best friend disowns him each time his fame doubles, and now that he's finished off Voldemort everyone seems to still know what's best for him... FULL SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: Harry Potter has had enough. No one ever believes him, his own best friend disowns him each time his fame doubles, and now that he's finished off Voldemort everyone seems to still know what's best for him, such as trying to get him to marry Ginny. Well he wasn't ready for marriage! And he doesn't want Shacklebolt making him an Auror right now, he didn't finish his 7th year and doesn't feel as if its fair. No, he has new dreams. And sadly, his old friends are not apart of them...

* * *

Someday someone has to tell me what it so incredibly hard to understand about a word with only two letters. What makes people constantly ignore my needs, my goddamn rights? Can't they accept a "NO!" for what it is? If tried to be nice and polite. I tried to decline Shacks offer for an instant post at the Auror office as nicely and quietly as I could possibly manage. It's not as if I swore at him and threw obstinacies at his head or screamed. No... I was quiet and collected and tried to sum up my reasons for not wanting the post in private so no one would ever need to know about this blatant favouritism.

"Kingsley... I really can't accept this offer, as wonderful as it is. But, see..."

"Now wait here!" Kingsley Shacklebolt started at once, standing up so suddenly and forcefully that he tripped his chair in the process. "What do you mean, can't accept you offer?" His face distorted into a sneering mask.

"That's what I wanted to explain to you..." I tried to get a word in again. Nope. Not gonna happen!  
"Have you any idea how many favours I had to call in to get you in without undergoing training first? Do you want to ruin me? Is this what you want after I stood by your side through all this mess with the Dark Lord? Who do you think worked his ass off trying to capture as many of those masked bastards as fast as possible – even after losing my job here 'cause I wasn't in league with Tom Riddle to make sure you even had the slightest chance to survive after pulling your little disappearing stunt? Not to mention that you knowingly endangered your closest friends? And now, boy, you try to turn your back on me?" the man seethed. I still don't know why... How should I have known that he pulled all those strings? Not that he should have.

"Kingsley..." I was angry too by now. "No one told you to make this offer. As I'm trying to tell you for some time now I have various reasons: For one I don't do charity. At all. I don't need that! So offering me a post here while I haven't even finished school and without undertaking any serious training isn't something I would ever consider. It is just not my style. Then again I gave up on the Auror idea sometime back during my track though Great Britain to ensure the downfall of Voldemort –stop cringing at the name! He's dead anyway! – And now I've got enough of hunting down dark wizards and witches! I've had my fill!" angry beyond anything I stood up. "Auror Shackelbolt. I hereby officially decline your generous offer to honour me with the title of Auror. Have a nice day."

I hoped I would never hear from Shacklebolt again. Well... sometimes all hoping is for naught. The man send me letters. Daily at least five. First he was literally begging me to reconsider my choice for declining the post. Then he started with more forceful stuff. Like threatening my friends. Then the Howlers came, one louder than the last. Always the contents were the same: Me being the ungrateful little bastard who had him losing his face in front of the other office heads. Me being scared of the responsibilities of my actions (as in killing off a Dark Lord and becoming the hero of the nation...). Me simply being a spoiled brat (oh yes... thanks to my relatives I'm so spoiled I can hardly shower on my own, let alone walk...).

Had I known what would follow the Howlers I probably would have screamed alongside the letter. Yes... I think I really would have. A form of denial, or so I have been told.

The first person to bother me while I holed myself up in the old place that once was Privet Drive 4, the house of my aunt and uncle, who would rather stay in Australia than return (apparently my uncle found good work and made more money than he did while living here, Dudley had found a girlfriend – I still can't believe it – and my aunt found someone new to gossip with about all her new interesting neighbours) and the only home I've ever known, even if it was a horrible place to grow up in, was Ginny Weasley. Somehow she'd figured that now that the threat was gone she'd be my girlfriend again – she even saw herself as my betrothed... her family of course wholeheartedly agreed. She was there daily. After her horrible sixth year at Hogwarts and Fred's death she had started helping George, who was still mourning his twin, in the store. And I have to admit that she was wonderful at what she did. So she wasn't in Hogwarts at the time I was about to commit murder – and I would have been quite happy about killing Kingsley Shacklebolt, whom I once had seen as a good Auror and great asset to the cause of destroying Tom Riddle. And instead of having accepted that I absolutely wasn't her boyfriend anymore she came by daily and chatted me up and even tried to seduce me. I was so (not) thrilled. At one point I simply exploded.

"Can you imagine? The nerve of that girl to ask me, as "a friend of yours", if you were currently in a relationship!" Ginny giggled as if she'd made a wonderful joke. I failed to see the point. She didn't even care that I didn't respond. Is that what real love is about? Ignoring the needs of the other person? I've never felt better. "I faked being angry and told the nosy girl that she was asking this question to your girlfriend-"

I started laughing suddenly. I couldn't even contain it. It simply bubbled up inside me and spilled out of my mouth. Gosh... I couldn't stop anymore for at least five minutes. Not because it was such a funny story... but because Ginny actually laughed along me after telling me her little tale with smug satisfaction in her voice. The audacity of this girl was astounding! Now I questioned myself for the thousandth time how I could ever have thought I was in love with this selfish, shallow creature. Sure... she was pretty and all but all she ever thought about was being my girlfriend and how she could tell this little tale to everyone. She simply didn't care about my feelings in all this – and totally ignored me when I told her "No, I'm not your boyfriend anymore, we're done." time and time again. Just my luck.

"Ginny... why did you lie to her? That was just mean!" I stared at her with hard, cold eyes. I so could not take it anymore. All I felt when looking at her was, all of a sudden, only disgust, maybe even hate. Why did everyone thing they could tell me what to do, how to live, and I would simply go ahead and follow their lead? Don't I have a say in my life?

"What? Harry, honey, why would you say something like that?" she actually looked quite shocked... perhaps she was denying something as well... by ignoring facts. Her big brown eyes filled with sudden tears. Well... I was done with succumbing under her girlish tears. All I felt was a new, hot burst of anger, a fury so white that I wasn't sure I was seeing things clearly anymore. It didn't really matter anymore. My anger was in desperate need of an outlet. It was so not my fault that the only one there was her.

"Why would I say what, Ginny? That you lied to the girl in the shop? D'you mean that? Oh... let me think!" I snarled at her. She was so shocked by my outburst, she froze up right there on the sofa my aunt used to disinfect daily and had cleaned once every season – and the cushions had had to be arranged accurately and neatly or she'd have a seizure of some sort... "Well... let me get this straight – perhaps you'll understand me this time! I am not your boyfriend! I do not love you – Hell, Ginny, I probably never really did! Get over this childish crush of yours right now! I'm not your plaything – you cannot control me or manipulate me with a quivering lip and tears any longer! This is SO over! We'll never marry. Got it!" I stood and went out in the garden. With a careful wave of my wand the flower beets were weeded and the lawn looked freshly mowed. Everything looked smooth and perfect again. I filled my lungs with fresh autumn air and desperately tried to get my emotions under control again. Lashing out at Ginny like that was just as cruel as lying to a girl who had a crush on the Hero-who-saved-us-all. I had made an ass out of myself. When I went back inside she was gone. Well... I guess that couldn't be helped.

I hadn't heart from Ronald in a while. The same old song: I got attention I didn't want and never would want and the brat was jealous of it. Sometimes I wish he would be in my shoes for a day or two. Who know? It might help him overcome jealousy. Then again... maybe not. I wouldn't be all that surprised if he were happy with everyone gawking at him when walking down Diagon Alley and receiving presents and cards (some cursed, some Portkeys) from people he didn't know and certainly didn't want to know. I'm sure he would have taken the job Shacklebolt offered me without my consent.

So it came quite unexpectedly when Ron suddenly stood at my front porch demanding to be let inside. I sighed deeply, already sure what was about to happen.

"How could you hurt your fiancée like this? My poor sister is sitting in our kitchen crying her eyes out! You are such a jerk! And that only weeks before the marriage!" Ron raged as soon as the door was shut. I had expected some aspects of his screamed speech. Others were new to me. Marriage? Come again?

"Ron! What are you talking about? What marriage? And just to get thinks clear: I never told Ginny we were dating again, let alone ask for her hand in marriage. Just what the hell is going on here?" I felt like smashing something against a wall. But then again emotional outburst rarely helped. Too bad. So I felt that I should keep it together – at least for the time being.

"What marriage? What marriage? Harry, you got to be kidding me! You're supposed to marry Ginny in a few short weeks, mate! What the hell are you doing fucking this up now – and in this way? Has your goddamn fame finally fucked up your brain or what's going on in your skull these days?" Ron's face was becoming redder than his hair at an incredibly fast rate... perhaps some blood vessel ruptured...? I felt totally numb at this moment and my thought made no sense, not even to me. Gee... that's one hell of a statement Ron made there. I was supposed to marry Ginny? When did that happen? Why didn't I even know about that? I closed my eyes, breath going in and out of my lungs way too fast to be considered as healthy.

_Someone's meddling with __**my**__ life again!_

"And whoever decided I was to marry Ginny? I certainly _did not_!" I was so mad.

"Mum and Ginny said it was for the best! You bastard! You were playing with my baby sisters emotions! _Again!_" Ron actually punched me. Right in my face. Not that I felt much of it... I was, as I said, totally numb. I didn't even realise I was having a screaming fit and was by now exchanging punches with Ron. There went my friendship with my oldest friend. And Hermione would go right with Ron... They were married after all, and she was expecting. And I was sure that by now Ginny, with her huge puppy-dog-eyes had all the Weasley's turned against me. Let alone the Ministry. By now everyone must know about my rude behaviour the other day.

After sending Ron flying out my front door and telling him to tell his mum that I never agreed to anything and that it would have been nice to know what they were planning so I could have declined the offer more politely, I slammed the front door shut and raised some wards. I couldn't believe it... the world around me certainly must have turned mad... whichever drug they must have token, I hope it's not in the water and I hope even more that it isn't contagious. Perhaps it was... After marrying Ron Hermione gradually lost her voice of reason and never put up an argument again. Especially not with her husband. It was downright scary... they didn't even realise that she was losing herself. This wasn't my female best friend anymore who always had stood beside me firmly and had a thirst for knowledge like no one else I know. This new (brainwashed) Hermione was thrilled about running a household, about being Ron's little housewife. Not even half a year after defeating Voldemort they had married. It had seemed odd to me that Hermione didn't consider repeating our 7th year at Hogwarts. She, instead, wanted to spend time with Ron. Then they married, only two month after the Battle of Hogwarts. I was shocked. But then again this wasn't my decision and my mistake to make. I expected a lot of arguments, especially after Ron announced that he wanted to continue living at the Burrow. But now. Hermione silently agreed. Now she was pregnant. So of course she won't be on my side... I shake my head.

Suddenly I see everything quite clearly. This country isn't my home any longer. I don't want to stay here... there's nothing here for my anymore. The very thing I fought for, my friends and their families, are no longer fixtures in my life. I lost everything... and any possible chances of employment went down the gutter right in the one single moment I turned down Shacklebolt. England was lost to me.

What was holding me here any longer? Hogwarts, which I had considered my home for six wonderful and horrible eventful years, now held so many awful memories of hurt, anger and dead that I didn't think I ever would want to set foot in it again. Fred and so many other wonderful people died there. Remus and Tonks, Collin... too many to think of the place as warm and welcoming any longer. Diagon Alley made my skin crawl with all the people staring at me. The Weasley's thought of me as cruel, the one who broke their darling daughter's heart. No way I could ever go there again. Pain chocked me until I had to sit down and put my heat between my knees.

Here I sit, barely eighteen, right in the middle of the shattered pieces of my life: My only living relatives now lived thousands of miles away on another continent. I'd lost my friends ( a new hot wave of pain squeezed my chest tight) and surrogate family (Molly was the only mother I'd ever known). I was utterly alone on this planet.

I shook myself out of my self-pity. This was hardly the right time.

With a few flicks of my wrist I had everything I owned (and even all the furniture my relatives had left behind when they left the country last year) neatly packed away in my suitcase (thank god for shrinking charms!) and was out of the house. My head was swimming. Where to go, where to go? I knew no one (besides my relatives, but they don't count as I hardly even am on speaking terms with them) outside of Britain. Once more I shook my head, this time in order to clear it. I couldn't get confused now.

My first place to go to was Andromeda Tonks' place. She lived there with her seven month old grandson, my godson Teddy Lupin. After the baby's parents died in the Battle of Hogwarts the little boy was all she had left in her life. I visited almost daily. I hoped she wouldn't blast my head off for the proposal I was about to made.

"Harry..." she looked so tired and... old these days. Only a shadow of herself. I forced myself to smile at her, even if this movement of facial muscle was pretty hard to manage after what had just happened.

"Hey Andy..." she let me in and closed the door, studied my face of a second, then went into the kitchen while waving me along. As I passed the living room, where little Teddy lay on a soft blanked in front of the fireplace, happily gurgling up at colourful bubbled floating above his little head, just out of reach of his chubby little fingers, I managed a real smile. I quickly ventured in the room and picked my godson up. He smiled and petted my face none too gently. I hugged him as tightly as I dared while walking in the kitchen. Cookies and milk were already standing on the table at my usual place.

"You're too thin." Was all Andy said.

"There's a suitcase in the hall, Andy." A quiet statement.

"Yes." I raised an eyebrow. She smiled tightly. "I can't stay here any longer. I only waited for your daily visit..."

I understood her perfectly. I was running away as well, after all. I just reached the conclusion of being unable to stay at a certain place for another minute way faster than poor Andy had. But she had had happy memories in this house as well. I only had a few half-happy memories of Privet Drive and a hell of a lot of bad and horrible ones. "Where will you go?"

"You don't seem angry. It will be inconvenient for you as you won't be able to see Teddy as often as you are used to." Now she raised an eyebrow. I ate a cookie and took a sip of milk.

"I won't be staying in England either. My life here just went down the gutter." I proceeded to tell her about my break with the Weasley's and about the Ministry. She merely nodded. Typically Andy.

"Were will you go, Harry?"

"I asked first" I smiled, while offering the gurgling Teddy a cookie as well. He happily munched on it with a lot of saliva running down his chin. It didn't faze me in the slightest... everything about Teddy was perfect. From his colour-changing hair down to his tiny toes.

She sighed once. "I have no idea. I just know that I can't stand yet another minute in this house where I know that Ted will never walk through the door again and were Nymmy will never trip over the carped in the living room again. It's become unbearable." A single tear slid down her slightly wrinkled cheek. I nodded in thought, hugging Teddy a tad tighter.

"Why don't we leave together? I don't know where I want to go either. But I have an idea." She smiled and nodded.

We apparated to Heathrow Airport in London, or at least as close to it as I dared to go. I'd been there once with uncle Vernon as a punishment: I had to watch him buy his family (a term which excluded me, Harry) tickets for a flight to Majorca. It was the longest I had ever stayed with Mrs Figg... But now it came in handy. A few minutes later I stood in the entrance hall of the airport. I watched the tables with the flights which would leave the country intently. Andy held Teddy tight and looked around with fear in her eyes. She'd never been here and had no idea what would happen next I briefly closed my eyes. This had to be a coincidence. The first flight to leave would be going to Australia. Whatever. So what if the Dursley's lived there? Australia was big enough for us to coexist peacefully. I went to the counter and bought us the tickets (does it make me a bad person when I admit that all the stuff I gave the nice lady at the counter was charmed into existence by me? Even the money...a visit to Gringotts might give the game away early.) and we happily entered the plane when the time came. I never imagined to fly somewhere first class one day. But now I did... it was heavenly. The only thing to leave a bad taste were the shambles I would leave behind. The people I once had considered family... I probably would never hear from them again.

But at least Andy and Teddy were with me. Andy still looked a bit pale around the nose and Teddy had dosed off (thanks to a wonderful potion which hopefully would outlast the whole flight).

###

Australia is beautiful. Well... all I've seen so far is Canberra airport seeing as we just arrived. It's huge. So is the city. But that was expected of Australia's capital. Andy and I had nowhere to go. That was the outcome of our hasty departure from England. It was hard to believe what you tend to forget when you have magic on your side. Such as the hotel you should have booked before buying tickets for a flight in another country. Or that it might have been a really good idea to go house-hunting first. Now it was a little late for this. Neither Andy nor I thought about this. We just ... ran away from our old, messed up lives full of broken dreams and heartache.

Oh well. When I could forget everything about my magic then I could as well use it to get us out of our recent predicament.

"What now? I need to feed Teddy soon and his nappy's full as well." Andy asked me, clearly worried. I could understand her – Teddy was my greatest source of worry as well at that moment. I felt like a stupid kid again, some teenager who ran away from home because of a row with his parents. It's a little like that one time when I was thirteen and blew up Aunt Marge... It shouldn't have happened again to me, especially not with Teddy and Andy involved. I mean, come on! If I wanted to start over again because everyone still thought they could make every decision for me then I could at least have thought about what I was doing. Would it have terribly hurt Andy and me to stay only a few days longer in the UK in order to plan our escape from there? Not really. Did we think at all? Yes – but only that we wanted to get away as soon as possible.

It couldn't be helped anymore. We had to get going; standing in the middle of Canberra International Airport didn't help matters at all.

"We'll find a hotel, of course." I smiled. "I guess any taxi driver can get us to one. Paying shouldn't be an option..." at her raised eyebrow I mouthed "Magic" to her and took the still sleepy baby out of her arms.

It still amazes me how many cabs stood in front of the main entrance of the Airport. Without wasting another thought Andy and I went to the nearest one and entered.

The cab driver turned around and smiled slightly at us – good for him, I guess. A friendly driver tends to get more tips than unfriendly ones. "Welcome to Canberra!" he greeted us. "Where should I take you?" Andy glanced at me, uncertainty in her eyes which were so like those of her sister Bellatrix and those of her cousin, Sirius.

"To the best hotel of the city, if you would please." I could as well start my new life in style. The man raised an eyebrow. I grinned – I guess it might have made me look a tad feral... maybe. The guy grinned back and proceeded to start driving.

Slowly we started to relax. Now we at least had a place for the night.

The cab driver took us straight to the Hyatt Hotel in the Commonwealth Avenue. I at least was thrilled, Andromeda looked a little worried. I silently shook my head – I hoped she would understand the meaning of this: No questions until our nice driver was gone... In the last possible moment I silently transformed some pieces of fluff from my seat into at least a thousand AUD (A/N: Australian Dollar... to what lengths I go for my fanfiction nowadays...) and leaned back in my seat again for the last few meters of the ride.

The hotel had looked great from a little way off – up close it seemed even better. I was sure it would be expensive. But what did I care at the moment? Didn't Andy and I deserve something expensive from time to time? I decided we did.

After paying for the cab we waited until the guy was out of sight before turning around to Andy.

"What do you think? Is this up to our standards?" I grinned once more, trying desperately to look carefree. I really hoped it would work and ease Andromeda's worries. I could understand her: She'd never been in the Muggle World quite this long. She didn't know how they acted or why they did something this way or that way. She'd never paid with Muggle money. Didn't even know what it looked like or that it was often different from country to country. Without help Andy would know what to do or where to turn to for help. But she had me to rely on. I wouldn't let her fall, the last link to my old live and the only link I wanted to keep. Teddy was awake by now and demanding very loudly that his nappy be changed right NOW. The baby's hair turned an angry red, matching his face's colour.

Carefully I looked around myself, hoping not to draw too much attention. Then I cast the next little charm. Teddy's nappy suddenly was clean, right along with his little bum. After the baby realised this fact he stopped screaming his head off and was back to the cute baby he normally was. His hair though still had a shocking colour: Poisonous green. Andy sighed and started fishing for a cap to put on her grandson's little head. It wouldn't do us any good to be remembered because of Teddy's hair-colour. Too bad we couldn't make him change his eye-colour... yellow eyes weren't exactly normal.

Gosh! I sounded just like my Aunt Petunia with her unnatural urge to seem to be completely normal. Nothing was allowed to be out of place, everything had to be perfect in its normality. Now I at least started to understand her a little: Attention on unnatural behaviour was hardly a good thing when you wanted nothing more than to life your live in peace. All my life I had felt as if something tried to suffocate me: First my Aunts obsession with being normal (even if keeping her nephew in the cupboard under the stairs was hardly something to consider as normal) then everyone trying to catch a glimpse at the scar on my head or trying to tell me that it was my responsibility to kill off a Dark Lord. After I'd done that it were my so-called friends and "fans" who kept ignoring my wish of peace and quiet. No one wanted to understand me. I was reduced to be merely a figure of the downfall of Voldemort, a thing to do with as you please. Only my break-out had shown my just how unhappy I had been – if this messy "escape" was making me so delighted it must have been awful. Something beyond compare.

"Harry... are you sure we can stay here?" Andy's voice was barely above a whisper. She had reclaimed Teddy and was clutching at his tiny body as if he was her lifeline, the only thing to keep her from drowning.

"Don't worry, Andy. Money can buy everything. And we have enough resources at hand, don't you quite agree?" a conspiratorial look was all it took – for now – to set her mind at ease. She nodded and even managed a small smile. Teddy started struggling in her arms, his cute face drawn in the stubborn lines which always seemed to indicate a tiny baby temper tantrum. My godson was hungry. And still a little sleepy. I don't think this potion will work a second time... Quickly I magically stuck the cap to his head, lest he should manage to get rid of it at the exactly wrong moment.

The foyer was beautifully equipped. Nice couches and armchairs, everything seemed modern and new.

"Hello. We would like the best suite you have to offer." The receptionist glanced at our clothes and nonexistent luggage. A slim eyebrow was raised (yet again). I raised my own. Andromeda did the rest with her pureblood upbringing. She could be so wonderfully haughty if she wanted to be.

She raised her nose in the air and narrowed her eyes a fraction. "If you, sir, are unwilling to be of aid I would be delighted if you could at least be so kind as to call down the manager of this place so he himself can be of assistance to us. I don't like to be kept waiting."

The boy behind the counter gasped and got to work. Soon after we were brought to our big suite. We had decided to only take one room – staying together would be our best, if not only, option. I would sleep on the couch while Andy would take the huge bed. An armchair was quickly transfigured into a baby bed for Teddy, our luggage unshrunk itself after a quick spell. Taking a change of clothes I went into the bathroom to take a shower. In the end I took a bath in a bathtub big enough to fit at least two persons at the same time. To top it off it had a whirlpool function. It was wonderfully relaxing. For the first time in weeks I managed to loosen up a bit. I finally felt like I might have a chance to ... well... live.

###

After two days in Hyatt Hotel We decided that we should take matters to stay in Australia permanently. I called back to the UK to sell the house. Not for a moment I thought that I or my relatives would ever want to go back again. No one needed the place again. I did the same for Andy, who never wanted the see the house she'd lived in for years again. Not even the happy memories made it worthwhile for her seeing as the horrors of the last year overshadowed everything. Then we started thinking: Where did we want to live here, in this strange country full of exotic animals and dangers? Where should we turn to now?

It cost me every ounce of will-power to make this one phone call. I only knew three persons, aside from Andromeda Tonks, who sat right next to me cuddling Teddy, in Australia. I wasn't particularly fond of either of the three. The Dursley's.

How wonderful.

"Dursley residency." The voice of my uncle announced. He still sounded as booming as ever, anger underlining everything. I'm not sure anyone but me ever noticed this latent anger... perhaps not. Then again it could be my imagination running wild.

"Uncle Vernon..." it wasn't more than a whisper, but Vernon clearly heard.

"What do _you_ want?" now the anger became quite clear to hear. As always it was directed at me... nothing new there. The hurt I felt whenever one of the Dursley's spoke to me in that manner wasn't new either. I guess I'll always feel that way. "I hoped to never hear of _you_ again!" my uncle thundered.

"I... I'm here. I don't want to ... to live that way anymore." And wasn't that the truth? Though it was only a half truth because Vernon couldn't know what exactly I didn't like about my life in England anymore. It could as well mean that I didn't want to be a wizard anymore... I hoped he would see it that way. It was the only chance we had to get answers out of Vernon. Our only chance to start anew in Australia. "I've got enough. I... Uncle Vernon. I need your help." There. I said it. The words I might perhaps have uttered as a little boy – but if I ever had said them to my uncle before I wasn't sure.

"And now you come crawled here? Thought we would fix your petty problems?" I closed my eyes. This wasn't going as planned.

"Please. Just tell me where I could live here. You won't have to pay for anything, just let me know if you know of a place me and a friend as well as her little grandson could stay for a while. You were right about _those people_. They really aren't good for anything." I felt cheap. Like a whiny brat. Or a worm. If this didn't work... no. I wouldn't even allow myself to think about this. I was practically crawling in front of Vernon.

A grunt answered me.

Then: "Do you still have that blasted owl?" My throat constricted painfully.

"No. I don't have the owl anymore."

"Good."

"Uncle Vernon. Will you help me? This one time?" I somehow managed not to sound impatient.

This time my uncle didn't grunt. He sighed. "At least you seem to have learned from your ... _mistakes_." For a while I only heard him breathing. He didn't sound that angry anymore. Dared I start hoping? I mean... we couldn't continue living off of fake money in a hotel for much longer. Andromeda seemed still a little frightened by the whole concept of living in a Muggle hotel. A deep intake of breath shook me out of my reverie. "Alright." It was the one word, which might as well have changed everything for us. "What did you say about a friend and her grandson?" I almost flinched. He had listened... but what did the man think about this one statement?

"Andromeda is Aunt Petunia's age. She lost everything beside little Teddy... I couldn't leave her behind. But she's not like..._them._" I noticed Andy clutching Teddy tighter. _Please, please, don't turn us down now!_

I got merely another grunt out of my headstrong uncle. "So she's not a freak?"

Not I sighed. He hadn't changed much. I still was only the freaky nephew. Nothing to be proud of, nothing to spare a glance or thought to. "She's like me. But she resents everything we left behind just as much as I do. Just pretend us to be ... _good freaks_. We won't do anything in the open. Ever. We intend to be like every normal person around here." _Come on! Believe me – just this one time!_

"The house next door is for sale. You _WILL_ pay me back, boy!" he hung up without another word. I blinked several times. This was as good as an acceptance into the man's family. Had I not been already sitting, I would have sat down right this moment. I stupidly stared at the phone for a moment, then looked at Andy. She had tears in her eyes. We finally had had a home in Australia, not a nondescript room (as big and beautiful as it might be, it still only was a hotel room). We belonged. Andromeda gave me a one-armed hug, sniffling almost inaudibly.

* * *

**A/N:** This is only part one of two... I'll try to upload part two in just a few days time. And I still have to finish the second chapter of _A whole new world_. This also should be done soon enough. I hope. My spare time just went and disappeared on me :(

As always I would be delighted about reviews, especially if you tell me what to do better... or if I messed up something. :)

Soooooo^^ See you all (hopefully) in part two!


	2. Petition for FFN

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

BlackRevenant

Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

socras01

Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

NightInk

Lazruth

ragnrock kyuubi

SpiritWriterXXX

Ace6151

FleeingReality

Harufu

Exiled crow

Slifer1988

Dee Laynter

Angeldoctor

Final Black Getsuga

ZamielRaizunto

Fenris187

blood enraged

arashiXnoXkami

Masane Amaha's King

Blueexorist

Nero Angelo Sparda

Sharkteeth

DAPC

Kyuubi16

bunji the wolf

EternalKnight219

Shi Kami The Murderous Prodigy

DeathNoteMaker

Nostalgic Remedy

Paco the Taco Maker

Slayer of Destiny

MisaPummelman

Brunette Chic

Puckurt-VS-Kurtofsky

Guardian-Angel-Forever

BaltaineShadow

If you could do what some other authors have done and post this petition as a temporary new chapter on some of your stories to help spreed the word? It would help a lot it's how I found out about this.


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